Watch the dramatic second round of the LPGA FM Championship where rookie Miranda Wang shines despite multiple rain delays totaling over five hours.
Follow Wang’s impressive performance as she takes a two-shot lead with a strong finish, birdieing her last three holes.
Get insights into how players like Madelene Sagström, Hannah Green, and Azahara Muñoz adapted their strategies to the wet conditions and soft greens.
See how weather interruptions affected the tournament schedule and players’ mental game, including equipment changes and coaching adjustments.
Stay updated on the LPGA leaderboard and key moments from the FM Championship’s rain-soaked second round.
Keywords: LPGA FM Championship, Miranda Wang, LPGA golf highlights, rain delays golf, Madelene Sagström, Hannah Green, Azahara Muñoz, golf tournament 2024, LPGA rookie leader, golf weather delays, soft greens strategy.
In the midst of relentless rain and multiple delays, Miranda Wang stood out brilliantly at the LPGA’s FM Championship. The second round was halted at 7:15 p.m. due to diminishing light following three separate rain stoppages that collectively lasted over 5 hours. Remarkably, half the players, those in the morning groups, managed to complete their second round before play was paused. The competition is set to resume bright and early at 700 a.m. on Saturday. I’m not exactly sure who championed the idea to push on, Green shared. I believe it was probably Gino who suggested it, and the rest of us quickly agreed. We all didn’t want to endure yet another delay. We were jogging, though Gino was definitely leading the pack, and all the caddies joined in chasing after us. The interruptions began at 10:38 a.m. when play was temporarily called off. later resuming at 12:22 p.m., marking an hour and 44 minutes of waiting. But the weather wasn’t done yet. Shortly after, the skies opened up again, triggering another pause at 10:07 p.m. with play not restarting until 2:05 p.m. Then came a third suspension at 3:45 p.m. as heavy rain battered the course relentlessly. Officials finally deemed the conditions suitable to restart at 6:18 p.m. Amid all this chaos, 26-year-old rookie Miranda Wang, ranked 187th globally, emerged as a surprise leader. She finished her round with a twoshot advantage over Maline Sagstrom, marking the first time Wang has led at an LPGA event. Hailing from Tanzhin, China, Wang impressed with an opening 66, followed by a five under 67, capped by a clutch string of birdies on her last three holes. Wang candidly admitted she had expected to be tucked in bed by the time she reached the 18th green following the third weather stoppage. Instead, she found herself perched at top the leaderboard, kicking off her round hot with birdies on three of her first four holes. Wang maintained her momentum despite the marathon day. Between holes 10 and 15, I didn’t manage any birdies because I was focused on adjusting to the soft greens and not letting the ball release too much, she explained. But on the final three holes, I managed to get very close to the pins and capitalize. Sagstrom finished her second round just before the third rain delay and ended up at nine under par after carding a 66. Green also completed her round ahead of the last suspension, closing with a 68 and tying for third place at 8 under along with Selene Bourge and Azahara Munoz. Seong Kim was also at 8 under, but had only played four holes in her second round by the time play was paused. During the first rain delay, Sagstrom spent her break sipping coffee while avidly checking updates from the DP World Tours Omega European Masters, where her husband Jack Clark was competing. During the second break, she chose to have lunch. Even though she usually avoids eating too much before playing, this didn’t hinder her from producing four consecutive birdies. When the match resumed, Green was seen settled at a table, sharing a conversation with Grace Kim about possible real estate investments, among other topics. Players have had to modify their strategies in response to the unusually soft greens and fairways, allowing for more aggressive shots in terms of distance and approach to the pin. For example, on the 18th hole, Sagstrom hit a thin wedge shot onto the green, but it didn’t roll out as it normally would on firmer conditions. Ranked 34th worldwide, Sagstrom only needed 26 putts to complete her round. After a facetime with her coach, she tweaked her setup to resemble the stance she used in 2022, the year she ranked second on the LPGA Tour in strokes gained on the green. Munoz credited the sight of her three-year-old son, Lucas, waiting on the 18th hole as the motivation that pushed her through the final stretch. Green ranked 16th globally, exchanged video analyses of her swing with her coach back in Australia. She made a notable equipment change, swapping her stricks on driver for a fresh titleless model she had never used prior to this event. The new driver features a redesigned head, but retains the same shaft. Her driving stats were impressive. She hit 12 of 14 fairways, averaging a distance of 260 yd, which gave her more freedom to focus on other parts of her game. Honestly, I think it mostly came down to mindset. Green reflected. “My old driver was probably just fine, but I had some negative associations with it. I just needed to see something different. It’s like how some players get attached to putters, not because the putter’s bad, but because they need a change of scenery or a fresh excuse. But here’s where it gets controversial. Does equipment really affect performance as much as mental state? Or is that just a convenient explanation players use to reset their confidence? What do you think? Are gear switches a gamecher or just psychological crutches? Feel free to share your thoughts and debates in the comments below.
